It's Complicated
by Lyrasloon
Summary: Based off of Season 8, episode 22: Baltimore. Tony has moved to be closer to his cousin and close friend after he learns of his partner's betrayal. While he is still trying to put the pieces together, he is suddenly a target of some hit men with an agenda that he struggles to figure out. Will he find the truth before he's captured or will he get killed in the process?
1. The Pursuit

A/N: I know how badly I've been doing with my writing lately and believe me I have tried several times. The muse just "ain't havin' it", to quote my fiance. Well, we have our own sort of language here in the South; what can I say? I've decided to basically write...nothing until it becomes something. This is all thanks to my lazy muse.

This is supposed to be a NCIS/Criminal Minds crossover...probably. Whenever I have the time between my other fics which I am SUPPOSED to be updating, I'll do this one (which I've been wanting to do for a while now XD). This one is centered around the episode "Baltimore", more or less.

Some people think stories never end,

But ours was just beginning.

Things have been quiet between us for a while

With no sign of that ending.

The awkward pauses are endless now

And the silence is filled with dread.

The only way we'd get along is

If one of us were dead.

~Christianna Sullivan*

Chapter One (Prologue): The Pursuit

It was a testament to how tired Tony Dinozzo was when he all but threw his keys on the floor, along with his shoes after such an exhausting day. He couldn't say that he was even happy to be back at his place, considering all that had happened lately. Granted, after a day like today, he just wasn't sure anymore...about a lot of things. He'd been wrong. Was he just seeing what he wanted to see and ignoring the signs? Looking back, there were probably some obvious signs that he missed. He'd never make the mistake of being in a position where he could be set up like that again. Hearing the phone ring, he frowned when he saw the caller ID. Unknown? He made a habit of usually answering any phone call, but this time he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

'Weird. I would've thought that it was that Navy guy again. He's been calling me for the past hour. It isn't Danny, but he has no reason to call me nowadays.'

Thinking back, he was glad he had finally made the decision to leave and move to be closer to his cousin in Virginia. He had been relatively happy in Baltimore during his time there, but that was before Danny had betrayed him. He had played it over in his mind numerous times, wondering what reasons could have possibly lead him down that path. There had to be a better reason than just money. Was he being manipulated or possibly even blackmailed? It seemed too unbelievable, but at this point there was little he thought could surprise him. Of course, he'd been wrong about a lot of things these days. In a bitter sense of irony, he found himself suddenly wishing he had thought to get another gun as he found someone in his apartment looming over him.

He wasn't sure what this guy wanted and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to make it out of this unscathed. What he _did_ know was that he wasn't just about to sit there and go quietly. Rolling to the side he barely evaded what he now had summed up to be a pretty beefy kind of guy. So, this obviously wasn't some run of the mill burglary. If he had to make a guess, he'd have to say that this was someone after him. Well, if he escaped with his life this time around, he'd have to figure out a way to call his friend and his cousin. They could probably help him with these weird phone calls, too. Maybe he just needed to change his phone number or get another phone entirely.

He looked at the distance between his keys and the door. It was possible, sure, but that didn't mean it would be easy. This guy was easily almost twice his height, but that could be an advantage in itself. Before his plan could get too far, a meaty fist came barreling towards his face. Growing up, he had learned that it was always best to just roll with the punch and not fight it. Let the guy think he's winning and spring for the attack. Being smaller meant quicker and that meant he could probably get away faster. Sure, he had to let the guy get in a few punches, but he just had to escape at this point. Having lead the guy one step closer to his goal, he slid for his keys and his phone and ran as fast as he could. This guy wasn't too far behind, which made Tony extremely nervous. He hadn't pulled out a gun, which meant he didn't have one or he just didn't want to risk it for some reason. Either way, he meant business and that posed more questions than answers at this point. There was certainly no shortage of enemies he'd made during his time as a cop, but who would actually go through all the trouble of tracking him down? He supposed that if he survived this particular incident that he'd have to make himself a list.

Tony obviously had the advantage in terms of speed, but not enough to make it to his car, get it unlocked and started, etc. He supposed that he was just really lucky to be able to make it as far as he had. If his luck held out, he could get another phone and figure all of this out, preferably _before_ someone else came. A restaurant would be too obvious, but he could easily lose this guy in a crowd. He wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, so to speak. He ran into the restaurant, with the guy several feet behind. He remembered, with a bitter taste in his mouth, something his ex-partner had said about chases like these. Well, he supposed it was a little out of context, but he supposed that it applied regardless.

He'd been to this particular restaurant enough times to know the general layout of the place. Some might say that it would have been easier to go out through the kitchen, which would probably be correct. However, Tony didn't exactly know his way around that particular kitchen. Casually as he could, he strolled into the bathroom and locked it behind him, leaving a particularly beefy guy to all but run into said door. Of course, the poor guy had probably never even been to the restaurant, because if he had he would've known that Tony was currently crawling out of the window. Instead, the guy waited around as Tony ran as fast as he could towards his car.

TBC…

Yeah, I want to sort of go further with this chapter, but it's only the prologue and it would take a while to get to another stopping point. *Christianna Sullivan is one of my pen names, since I basically think my name is kinda goofy...meh.

Tony is calling a few people and trying to find out who could be after him. Who could he be calling? He's gotten away from Mr. beefy-not-a-burglar-so-it-must-be-a-hit man guy, but for how long? Why is someone even after him? O_O


	2. Abby

A/N: So, I guess since I have been updating my other fics somewhat recently and regularly, I should keep up with this one, no? I'm actually kinda embarrassed to admit that I accidentally forgot to update this one. I've been busy with the HTTYD series more than anything. Speaking of, I have been listening to those books on Audiobook recently (having just started the fifth one) and they are pretty awesome, especially with David Tennant as the narrator. _ Anywho, here's me updating and trying to keep up with everything. Yeah, yeah; serves me right, I know.

Last chapter: Tony is dealing with some suspicious things happening, to the point where he is attacked by what seems to be a complete stranger. It's been awhile since he's dealt with his old partner's betrayal and there's something bothering him about this so called random attack.

 ****

 **Chapter 2: Abby**

It wasn't the best of days that Tony had ever had for a good while, that was for sure. He was just starting to get over the sting of betrayal from Danny and he still couldn't entirely figure that out. To be completely honest, the entire thing had been in the back of his mind for a long while up until now. He had a weird feeling that this was somehow connected to his ex- partner's...dealings.

He knew that he couldn't sit still for much longer, but he needed to make some sort of decision. As much as he loathed to involve anyone else in such dirty affairs, he wasn't equipped for anything like this anymore. He had money saved up and could probably find somewhere to lay low, but he knew that he couldn't investigate this one on his own. He couldn't really call Spencer, as he knew that his boss wasn't a particular fan of letting his people do freelance work. He didn't want him in trouble, but he'd have to tell him eventually, as Abby would probably tell him really soon. He could probably tell Abby, even if she couldn't do a lot of investigating. It was better than nothing and she knew how to cover her tracks. He didn't really want to get either of them involved in something that wasn't their problem, but they'd be really mad if they found out otherwise. There was no way around it, then. First step had to be buying a few disposable phones. He could use one and then toss it after a while if necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some convenient time skip goes here~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abby had felt something...hinky was going on all day, but she just couldn't place it. She had had an okay day so far with nothing looking too odd. On top of which, they had been doing nothing but cold cases for several days. Not that she would ever actually wish harm on anyone, but all this paperwork was just taxing. She hadn't really heard anything from Gibbs to state otherwise, so she guessed that just meant nothing but cold cases and paperwork until further notice. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed, all but resigned to her fate, when her phone rang. She frowned, seeing an unknown number, but figured she was bored enough anyway. Even if it was some solicitor or something, at least it was something.

"Hello sir..or ma'am. I guess I just figured you'd be a guy, for some reason. Because it's usually guys who call me, especially if it's some random number. Are you trying to sell me something? Because if you are, then I might buy it; but I might not. It depends on what it is."

Tony sighed, trying not to groan. Abby was the most super cheery and talkative person he knew, and that's saying something. He knew that if he didn't say something now, he probably would be waiting for at least the next five minutes or so. He loved her, he really did, but he just felt really edgy at the moment.

"Hey, Abbs…" he said quietly, trying to sound as in control of things as possible. She'd catch on eventually, anyway. She always did. His acting was really good, which is why he was so good at undercover work; it just never worked with her.

"Tony! I haven't heard from you in a while! What's up?" Abby replied, cheerfully.

He really wished he was with her, even if it was just because her cheerfulness was just so contagious. "Is there something wrong? That's why you're calling, isn't it? Something is hinky, mister, and you better tell me what it is."

Tony inwardly groaned, leaning on the nearest wall and trying not to bang his head on it. He wanted to lie to her so desperately and say it was a random call. He could say he lost his phone at some girl's house or just couldn't find it, but she was way too smart for that. Of course, then he'd have to put up with an angry Abby after she figured out the truth, and that was something he always tried to avoid. Might as well just give up while you're ahead, right?

"Well, I may or may not have tossed my phone in the trash as I ran out the door a little while ago, and so I had to get a new phone. I also may have to be looking for a place to stay for a while until some...certain incidents are over."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, making Tony somewhat uncertain if she was still there or if he needed to redial. He knew that he should've probably just gone to Spencer, if only to avoid the drama, but he just wasn't sure either way. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard Abby let out a deep breath. He was probably in for a good, long conversation when this was over. Probably one of those Abby lectures about him always being in danger somehow and how he should just start working with her so she could have him within sight at all times. He smiled just thinking about it. She meant well, he knew, but he wasn't sure that he could ever work with a partner again. Not after what happened in Baltimore.

"What happened _exactly_? I want details and don't leave anything out! I know that you think you're helping by leaving me out, but I don't need you getting killed because you're being stubborn! I still think you should work here! You don't have to have a partner! You can just work with me or something. I just don't like you being in so much trouble all the time."

Ah, here was the 'just-come-move-in-with-me-or-Spencer' lecture. He kept telling her no, and yet she kept clinging to her idea. He was sure that getting another partner would mean nothing but trouble and betrayal at some point. Of course, she had just told him that her boss was as loyal as they came and would never do something like that. He had to admit that Gibbs gave off that loyalty vibe, so maybe he was the kind that would walk through fire for his coworkers and friends. Tony just wasn't quite ready to try again, not after what happened in Baltimore.

"Well, I had come home and was really tired, so I decided to just leave everything wherever they fell."

"You must have been really tired; you should take more vitamins. You never know-"

"Abbs?"

"Right. So, you were tired and were making a mess?" Abby asked, making Tony sigh. Well, when she put it _that_ way…

"I guess you could say that. Anyway, my phone had been ringing with some unknown number off and on for about two or three days. At first I thought it was that boss of yours, but then I remembered that I still had his number and I just never bothered erasing it. I don't know _exactly_ how the next part happened, because it's just too…"

"Hinky?"

"Yeah, I guess so. None of it makes sense, really. I mean, I'd have to go back and see, but I never heard the guy force his way into my place. After that, we fought and I haven't been back to my apartment since."

Closing his eyes in frustration, Tony forced himself to think clearly. It just didn't add up. Sure, he'd made plenty of arrests in his career, and had obviously made a good list of enemies in his time. He definitely needed Abby's help on this one, loathe as he was to admit it. She had good resources and the skills to find things that he could never find on his own. That, and he really didn't want to have to involve Spence at this point. That was another batch of problems altogether.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?" Abby asked, as if reading his thoughts. Tony cringed, hearing the edge in her voice. It was bad enough that he hadn't called _her_ right away, but now she had to drag him into this.

"I just...haven't had the time, Abbs." he offered weakly.

 _Smooth, DiNozzo; real smooth._

"You're not serious, are you? Tony, I love you, but stop being such a wimp!"

"I don't want him involved, Abbs! Can't you understand that?"

"Tony…" Abby said quietly, sounding sad. "What if something happened because of these guys and I had to tell him? He'd never forgive himself for not being able to somehow prevent it!"

"He's been busy with his team, though, not to mention his mom hasn't!-" Tony stopped himself, before he could continue.

Spencer had always been one of his closest friends growing up, really, even if a lot of the things he said tended to go over his head. He'd been more than a little surprised when he found out that he had started working for the FBI. According to Abby (who somehow talked to him more than he did), Spence had integrated himself pretty well. He had to admit that between the three of them, they probably made the weirdest group...ever. Abby had rolled her eyes when he told them that, saying he was just being dramatic. He simply told her that even if he was, it didn't mean it wasn't true. He still remembered when Spencer asked about Abby and why he would hang out with her so much. They were around eight or so, before things got so complicated in all of their lives.

" _You're so different from her, almost like polar opposites or something." Spencer started, looking at Abby on the grass in the distance. He wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she'd always been different in the way that you never really knew what was coming next. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with her, she's just nothing like anyone you ever hang around."_

" _I guess, but does it really matter?" Tony asked, kind of irritated with Spencer for even questioning him. It didn't matter._

" _I was just wondering; who is she, anyway? Did she just move here?"_

 _Tony had to admit that his friend's questions were starting to get on his nerves a bit and it was already dreadfully hot outside. But he had wanted to make Abby happy, because it made him smile...up until his best friend started questioning him. Rolling his eyes, he finally looked over at his friend and readied himself for the absolute shock and more questions._

" _Well, she's my...cousin, I think? She just moved here, but who knows how long she'll stay...or if I even will?" Tony muttered. Spencer obviously didn't know whether he should be shocked or dismayed at the revelation. It was no secret that things weren't going so well in his family lately, which led Spencer to believe that Abby's sudden appearance was anything but coincidental._

While it was true that Spencer probably should know about this new _development_ in his life, Tony was more than a little reluctant to tell him. He knew that his friend wasn't exactly the type to stay out of trouble, and according to Abby, he had gotten himself kidnapped just a few months ago. Of course he was reluctant to ask! He was already some type of trouble magnet; he wasn't about to help.

"I shouldn't tell him, Abbs! He's like some sort of...trouble magnet. That kid couldn't stay out of trouble if I tied him to some other agent and made him stay with them 24/7!"

"You act like that's any different from how you're saying he is, but you and I _both_ know that you are just as bad as he is."

Somewhat annoyed at the fact that she had cornered him...again; Tony sighed and redirected the conversation, even if it was only to avoid answering her.

"Aren't we getting a little off topic here?"

"Either you call him or I do, Tony, and you know he probably won't appreciate hearing it from me." Abby said way too cheerfully. She was enjoying this _way_ too much, but he knew she was right. Unfortunately.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you, Abby?" Tony whined, putting one of his hands over his face. "You're so cruel."

"Stop being so melodramatic, Tony. It's not _that_ bad." Abby said, grabbing her drink and downing about half of it's contents. Sometimes, dealing with Tony just drained her energy. "And stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting!"

"I'd bet my next Caf-Pow that you have your hand over your face and are about five seconds from sinking to the floor so you can sulk."

"You'd lose that bet, Abbs."

"You're lying. I have my cell and I'm about to dial Tony, so you have one last chance before you get an earful for probably a month."

"Fine, I'll call him already...pushy!" Tony muttered, just about to hang up before hearing Abby once more.

"Tony, don't forget to text me a list of people you think would want to get back at you-"

"Abbs, that's an awful long list. I've arrested a lot of people since I became a cop. I mean from Peoria, Philadelphia, and then Baltimore? I don't exactly have a short list of enemies, you know."

"Well, this guy was probably just muscle, wasn't he? I mean, he didn't sound like someone who could pull something...unless it wasn't random."

"You're not saying this is some group effort, are you Abby? Because I know several of those and none of them are people I want to dance with again."

"It's not too late to-"

"Abbs, they're not going to stop coming after me." Tony said quietly, making Abby gasp in realization. "I won't put you in danger like that, you know that."

"But-!"

"I'll text you those names when I can, Abby. It shouldn't be any longer than a few hours at the most, and then I'll call Spence; if that's okay with you."

"Fine. But you better be calling me every single day so that I know you're okay, mister."

"Abbs-"

"It's not negotiable, Tony. I can find you and stick to you like glue if that's what it takes. You _know_ I will."

"Abby! You can't do that! It's too dangerous." Tony practically yelled, frustrated at his cousin for even suggesting such a thing.

"Promise me, then!"

"What are we, ten years old?"

"Stop being such a child and tell me you'll call already, DiNozzo!" Abby yelled, making Tony flinch. Abby hardly ever yelled, but when she did, it certainly did leave an impression...especially on his ear drums. They were going to be ringing for at least ten minutes.

"Okay, Abby. Just don't yell in my ear like that again." he whined. "I won't be able to hear for days... _months_ even."

Abby laughed, and then drank the rest of her drink in one go.

"Stop being so stubborn and melodramatic, then. Geez, you're so exhausting sometimes."

"So? You still love me."

"I ask myself about that every day." Abby said, still smiling. "I was supposed to ask you if you wanted to come and work here, but I know that the whole thing in Baltimore-"

"I'm not ready for a partner yet, Abbs. It seems that all they seem to do is betray your trust, so why bother?"

"Gibbs isn't like that, Tony. He's actually kinda nice in his...gruff...Papa Bear sort of way."

"Yeah, he seemed all nice and fuzzy when I met him, Abby." Tony said, sounding more sarcastic than bitter. He never liked talking about Baltimore these days, no matter the circumstances.

"I guess it's a good thing that I've been telling him no, even though I doubt he'll give in that easily. You seem to have given him quite the impression."

Yeah, well...I'll get you that list you wanted and call Spence by the end of the day, I guess."

"You better, mister, or I'm doing it for you."

"Cruel."

"Idiot."

"Jock."

"Geek."

"Weirdo."

"Weirdo?!" Abby yelled, narrowing her eyes at the phone as if it had offended her.

"I would have thought that geek would have made you mad." Tony said, rubbing his ears for the second time. He really should have known better, but it had been a stressful week. "I'll call you later, Abbs. I promise."

"Bye, Tony. Call him or you are in so much trouble."

"Yes ma'am. Bye, Abbs."

Tony turned his phone off, and shook his head as he thought about his cousin. She may be family, but they were as different as night and day. He smiled, remembering the last time he saw her which was probably at least a month or so ago. No wonder she was on his case. With that in mind, he sat down and started to make a list that was going to probably take up at least half of the page or more.

A/N: Yeah...so, I'm terribly sorry that this has taken so long, but things have been so complicated lately. Everyone has been sick and then there has been all of the holidays...etc. X_X And then I got writer's block on top of it. Hurrah. I still have my other fics I haven't updated in probably quite a few months now. T_T I'm not even sure I want to look.

NEXT CHAPTER: Tony is forced to think about what groups could be seeking revenge against him and the list isn't as short as he thought. He finally gets the courage to call his friend, but how is that conversation going to go? :o


	3. Garcia

A/N: So, I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be done with this for at least a day or so, which is typical sometimes. I tend to get distracted and try to multitask, which _totally_ doesn't work well for me. I usually end up trying to balance out playing trivia or chatting with trying to write, which is why it takes so long. -_-' I suppose that it doesn't really help when I have several fics going at once. I'll admit that I've done worse, but I'd rather just...not go there again. Anywho, let's just move on.

Also, the list he's made is obviously totally made up, so any references aren't meant to be offensive in any way...blah, blah, blah. A few are real, only in the wrong time period. And for whatever reason, I decided to add another character in, probably because she is seriously one of my favorites.

Last chapter: It seems that Tony is in a little bit of hot water in so many ways, even getting cornered by Abby for not calling her and Spencer. Even worse, she made him promise to call his friend…

It was ironic, really, because he had decided not to talk to his friend and get him involved and yet here he was doing the one thing he said he wouldn't do...kind of. He wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him to call Garcia instead, but he figured he had less to lose if he tried to figure out what sort of stuff his friend was up to currently. It wasn't as if she wouldn't find out anyways, and it seemed that just about everyone he knew (being only three people total) always seemed to find out what he was up to almost before he knew. If nothing else, he could give her the list he had managed to make and let both her and Abby do their thing. Initially, the two had somewhat clashed, but that didn't last for very long at all anyway and now they got along pretty well. Come to think of it, he couldn't exactly remember when it was _they_ had met; so it had to have been at some party that he got totally sloshed and couldn't remember anything the next morning. He inwardly sighed, thinking how much energy it would take to deal with another energetic friend of his. Garcia was great in so many ways, but so much like Abby it was scary at times. Having resigned himself to his fate, he grumbled something in Italian about a serious lack of coffee as he heard the phone ring.

"He who seeks the 'Queen of All Knowledge', speak and be recognized."* she answered, probably already tracing him out of habit. He sighed, wondering how good of an idea this really was. It was _way_ too early to be dealing with someone as...perky as her.

"Well, I guess I should be calling Abby then." he said teasingly, knowing that was one of the best ways to rile her up. Sure, he wasn't feeling all that energetic, but he needed the entertainment. He could practically feel her ire from where he was, and he desperately tried to hold in his laughter.

"Tony? Well, if it isn't my Italian gigolo! Why are you calling me all of the sudden and don't think that I didn't hear everything from Abby."

"Of _course_ you did." Tony mumbled. He should've known that Abby would tell her the first chance she got. If there's one thing he knew about her, it was that she couldn't keep a secret unless it was life or death. He wanted to be mad at her, truly he did, but he hadn't technically told her to keep it to herself; so this one was on him. "Why am I not even surprised anymore? Fine. What did she tell you?"

"Only that you haven't changed a bit and that you are just as much trouble as you ever were."

So, she _didn't_ tell her?

"She also told me that you were in trouble, but that you weren't exactly sure who it was. Spill, sugar; you made a list, didn't you?"

He had made one, which had taken the better part of the night. It wasn't that he had that many people after him these days, since so many were in jail. It was more of a problem making the list and narrowing it down to the groups that had the resources and motive. He had gone as far back as his first big bust, which wasn't huge, but he had to look at every possibility. Cosa Nostra was a particularly nasty group, but he knew that wasn't possible, since they were mostly in Italy these days and wouldn't bother with that type of muscle anyway. The list had just gone on and on and then it was suddenly six in the morning. He had managed a few hours somehow, but it had taken him all night, and he knew that he was still missing something. It was a big important piece that was probably looking at him right in the face. It was something that he needed to know; he had to have more information somehow he supposed.

"I stayed up all night trying to make a list, but I know I'm missing something."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something that I probably saw or just can't figure out; I guess I need to try and get more information somehow." Tony sighed, racking his brains for some solution.

"In the meantime, what names are on that list the came from that gorgeous head of yours?" Garcia asked obviously ready to jump in.

More than anything, he wanted to argue and tell her that it wasn't safe. Of course, it would fall on deaf ears, which is why he wasn't sure if he really wanted to be bothered. She'd find the names with or with _out_ his permission...somehow, and he really would feel better knowing what she was doing. He didn't want any of them getting involved, but in the end it was his fault more than anything else for asking for their help. He should just hang up on her and pretend it's some bad connection or something, but Abby would kill him for that.

"I have lots of names, but none of them match the pattern of things, though they've all got plenty of people to throw at me."

"Still out there making friends, sugar?"

"I thought Abby told you everything." Tony said, somewhat irritably. He didn't want to talk about Baltimore, even if it was just Garcia.

"Don't you snap at me Anthony DiNozzo! I can and _will_ come over there if you don't start being nice."

"You're just as bad as Abbs." he muttered, thinking of his excitable cousin who could often drive him crazy. He had no doubt in his mind that she already knew where he was and telling her not to come wasn't worth the energy. If he was lucky, he could get out of here before she told Spencer where he was. Spencer was his best friend, no doubt about that. He just didn't want to...complicate things. "You already told him where I was, didn't you?" he asked, dreading the answer. He already knew, really. In all reality, he was just trying to forget everything that was happening.

"I don't know why you're asking, since you know me _way_ better than that." she said, sounding way too innocent for his liking.

"How long do I have to live, girly?" he all but mumbled. He'd never hear the end of this once his friend arrived and he _really_ should have seen this coming. How had he been outmaneuvered by them like this?

"Five minutes, more or less; which means there's no escaping without him seeing you this time around."

"I could." he defended, looking out the window between the curtain. He didn't see anything yet, which meant he could make it with or without his current phone.

"I have eyes on you, so I'll know where you're going."

Just as he was about to turn the handle on the door and book it, he deflated like a week old balloon. He should've known. If she had hacked into the cameras, then there was very little he could do. He might as well just give in and wait for his friend to let loose on him...probably. He wasn't one to give in so easily, but he'd admit defeat at this point. Hanging his head, he sat back down on the bed.

"That's pretty creepy how you do that, Garcia."

"Oh, so you're mad at me?"

"I don't like being cornered."

"You make it too easy, Tony."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing! I'd lose advantage if I told you the trade secrets."

She laughed as she heard Tony groan.

"You and Abby have a sick twisted sense of humor, you know that?"

"Yeah, so I've heard. Spencer is coming in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"

"Gotta go, Pen!" he said, hanging up before she could say anything. He knew she was probably laughing at his expense, but he really didn't want to deal with this right now. He had enough problems. He heard several knocks which were barely softer than a bang, making him wince. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and put on an everything-is-fine smile. Spencer didn't exactly look amused, which was about as comforting as a bed of needles. After what seemed like an hour, Tony just couldn't take any more. "Are you going to come in or not, Spence?"

The look of agitation faded for a moment as he rolled his eyes, only to return when they sat down and faced each other. Spencer looked at the spartan type space and gave Tony what could only be described as an unamused scowl. Although Tony had been dreading the conversation for a good while now, he still groaned inwardly at the thought.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

A/N: Yeah, I'm cruel. But we've finally arrived at the dreaded Spencer/Tony conversation. Since it's not really a spoiler...he just doesn't want to be a bother to his friends, especially Spencer. Spencer and Tony have been through a lot and in a typical Tony fashion; he is trying to go at it alone. Silly, silly Tony. I wasn't going to add a lot of Criminal Minds characters, but I love Garcia. She's so awesome. *I found this quote and a lot of others on _bogbit com /criminal - minds - the - best - quotes - from - penelope - garcia /_


	4. Telling Spencer

A/N: Sorry about it being so long since I last updated this...seriously. -_- I even have some other fics that I need to keep up with (not to mention the Merlin one I just started yesterday). I have journal that keeps getting filled up with new ideas. It's no wonder I can never keep up.

Chapter 4: Telling Spence

 _Last chapter:_

 _"Gotta go, Pen!" he said, hanging up before she could say anything. He knew she was probably laughing at his expense, but he really didn't want to deal with this right now. He had enough problems. He heard several knocks which were barely softer than a bang, making him wince. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and put on an everything-is-fine smile. Spencer didn't exactly look amused, which was about as comforting as a bed of needles. After what seemed like an hour, Tony just couldn't take any more. "Are you going to come in or not, Spence?"_

 _The look of agitation faded for a moment as he rolled his eyes, only to return when they sat down and faced each other. Spencer looked at the spartan type space and gave Tony what could only be described as an unamused scowl. Although Tony had been dreading the conversation for a good while now, he still groaned inwardly at the thought._

 _"Why didn't you tell me?!"_

Tony sighed and found himself trying not to curse Abby and Garcia in his mind. He wasn't ready for the tempest that was Spencer, at least not at the moment. Sure, he was the type of guy who would generally be pushed around and bullied in school. It's not that Tony hadn't cared enough to stop the bullies; it was just that Spence had outright told him that he thought it would just make things worse in the long run. He had never told him how much it hurt to watch it happen every day, to the point where he had threatened their mere existence if they went near him again. Only Abby knew about it and if anyone else knew, they probably wouldn't for long. Abby was always scary like that. He'd never in a million years admit it outloud, but Tony wasn't exactly sure if he should be scared of her or not. He could never really tell how serious she was being with those threats of getting rid of all the evidence. Both her, Garcia, and Spencer were the most loyal people he had ever known, sticking by him in even the lowest parts of his life. Staring at his best friend with a resigned look, he felt like someone who had been cornered and was staring at the barrel of someone else's gun. No options left and nowhere to run to; just a friend who was loyal and at the moment, pretty ticked off.

 _I guess I can definitely say that I've been in better situations, but Abby did say she'd follow through with that threat if I didn't call him. I don't know whether I should be glad to just get this over with or try not to kill her the next time I see her._

"I suppose that much depends on both who told you and what you've heard Spencer." Tony muttered, wincing at how it sounded.

He never called him that, unless they were mad at each other. Well, if the shoe fits, I suppose there's nothing to do but track through the mud with it. Yeah, because _that_ made a whole lot of sense. He noticed the barely noticeable flinch that Tony had expected. Tony bit his tongue, not wanting to instigate something that would get undoubtedly loud and just escalate from there. He inwardly yelled at Spencer, asking him if he was going to even say something. He knew from experience, however, that the DiNozzo tempers could be extremely volatile when things got too out of hand. Taking a deep breath like he always did when he was angry, he went and got some water from the fridge. The silence was thick and harsh, making him want to force answers from his friend. But he knew that would never work, so he went back to his list that he was previously making for two people he'd particularly like to have words with at the moment. As much as he wanted to just walk out the door and forget the conversation for at least a good while, he knew things would only get worse; so while Spence sorted things out, he could at least get some work had listed people that he figured had enough muscle or at least had enough money to get it, then narrowed it down to people he'd arrested or grudges. It was still a considerably good-sized list, but at least it wasn't nearly as long as he thought it was initially. Considering all the arrests he had made over the years, it didn't surprise him that he'd finally had someone come after him. It was a little ironic that it had been right after he had left Baltimore, but he wasn't about to stick around knowing about what his partner had been doing. Getting a new sheet of paper, he wrote down a few facts that seemed to be "coincidences" that had been bugging him.

 _After moving here, I thought I was being followed._

 _Just after moving is when I was attacked._

 _The same day I found about my partner, I almost had an auto accident_

 _They knew where I live_

That was all of the major ones that he could think about off the top of his head, but he had a feeling there was something big that he was missing. It was just too much of a coincidence that he hadn't any type of a weapon and he had just moved here. It was just too ridiculous to even think about. He glanced at his friend and wished he could help without getting too involved, but that was just sheer fancy. Looking back at his list, he sighed and started to rub his temples. All of this stress was starting to give him a huge headache, which hopefully wouldn't get any worse than it already was. He felt more than saw Spencer finally look up when Tony finally gave up and put his head on the desk. He figured that whenever his friend wanted to talk to him they'd talk, but he'd love to be stress and headache free when they finally did so.

Spencer was frowning, lost in his own thoughts about how he'd managed to make his best friend so angry when he was the one that was so mad in the first place. The next thing he knew, Tony had gotten up, clearly to avoid a fight. He knew how Tony was probably unconsciously terrified of snapping like his father always seemed to. Spencer always knew when to back off and so did Abby, because they both knew how horrid the DiNozzo temper could be if you were on the wrong end of it. As soon as Tony took a deep breath and stood up, Spencer knew the time for talking probably wasn't happening tonight. As he watched his friend sit down at the desk to obviously otherwise occupy himself, he knew things weren't going well when he started rubbing his temples. He could only imagine the amount of stress he had been under as of late, which is probably why he had just outright snapped at him. Come to think of it, he had heard from both Abby and Garcia that he had sounded rather strung out and snapped at them a few times. That wasn't like him unless he was rather stressed or you just stepped on the wrong nerve, especially not with the girls. Tony was among the few that he knew that actually did have the guts to do that and survive to tell the tale. He'd always been sort of afraid of Abby, especially now that she could make all evidence of you disappear. _Garcia would probably even help her_ , Spencer thought. Taking a deep breath, he had to admit that he was unsure of what to do at the moment. As Tony had so ruthlessly stated, the girls had been less than helpful when giving him the information. All he really got was that Tony had been on the run after he'd been attacked. They obviously had at least a clue about what was going on, and so did his Tony; otherwise, his temper wouldn't be nearly as close to the surface as it was at the moment. He was more than sure that he'd regret what he was about to do, but he was sure that what Tony was working on was connected to everything that had happened since he walked in. He tried to sneak up to the desk, knowing that Tony's past had made him have the ability to be awake and stay awake at the sound of someone else's footsteps. It was actually more or less sad in the way it had come about, but it had regardless. Spencer carefully got up and casually looked out the window, as to not gather too much attention to himself. He closed the curtains, plunging both of them into what was almost pure darkness. He wasn't sure whether or not Tony had actually managed to fall asleep in that uncomfortable looking position, but he had seemed to relax at least a little bit after the curtains had been closed.

Taking it at an almost shuffling-type speed, Spencer crept behind Tony and tried not to gasp when he moved in the chair. He didn't get up or even open his eyes, but Spencer held his breath regardless. He was so close to figuring out what it was that his friend was hiding from him, and he couldn't let this chance go by. This kind of thing looked like a movie scene from one of Tony's ridiculous recent spy movies that he'd heard about. It had made him roll his eyes when he heard about it, but maybe that meant Tony was changing genres or something.

Spencer waited until Tony had settled for what felt like at least five minutes and got as close as he dared to see what his friend had been writing. At first, he didn't quite understand what he was reading. It looked like just a list of names, until he realized who some of those people were. Some of these people belonged to some old money and could make you disappear without anyone noticing, and a lot of these people had been arrested by Tony. Spencer felt the blood in his face pale even before he read what he could from the other sheet of "coincidences". Tony didn't even believe in those! That could only mean-

"Something bothering you, Spence?" Tony mumbled, not particularly feeling up to this conversation. He knew that this would happen, and it's not like he was able to sleep anyway. Spencer flinched, knowing he'd been caught red-handed.

 _Something tells me he was never asleep in the first place. I should've known that he'd trap me like that. No one purposefully leaves information like that unguarded without it being a trap!_

"I should've known that you wouldn't be so forthcoming about something like this. I really should have known!" Spencer yelled, making Tony wince.

"Spence?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, but I just got carried away. You don't have anything, do you?" Spencer asked, inwardly groaning. He already knew, but he felt the need to ask.

"Don't you think I would've taken something if I had any?" Tony snapped, wincing at his own voice. Spencer just rolled his eyes and walked over to the curtains, making Tony back up. If he decided to open those up out of sheer spite, that would definitely hurt a good deal.

"Stop being such a jerk to everyone, really. I can put a lot of it together, but snapping at all of us doesn't help anything. I'm going on a little supply run and I'll be right back. Try not to take my head off when I get back. And you should apologize to the girls when you feel better."

Tony looked practically scandalized at the thought of having to apologize to the girls. Half of the stress he felt right now was their fault! They had called Spencer here before he was even ready and now he had a headache that obviously wasn't going away anytime soon. Why would he even talk to them? He looked at Spencer to state as much, but noticed he was already halfway out the door.

"Spence-" he practically whispered, knowing that anything else would set off another round of drums in his head that he didn't need. His friend just rolled his eyes and put up his hand to stop the rant he knew was coming.

"No. You know I'm right, and maybe you will too once you feel better. For now, I'll gladly assume it's because you're not thinking straight. Now, I am going out and taking the key. If you use the bolt or try to leave in any way, I will have those girls on you like white on rice."

As Spencer closed the door and locked it for good measure, Tony realized he didn't have enough energy to use the deadbolt anyway. His only problem was the people trying to find him. Headache or not, they were still looking and they wouldn't exactly bother knocking. What was worse is that now he knew three people that knew about this. For some reason, he felt something foreboding. With the last bits of his energy, he grabbed the paper and hid it under the table-side drawer. The only person who could possibly find it was Spencer, really. If he went missing, that would be the first place he'd look. Hopefully, it would never come to that.

 _Next Chapter: Is there a good reason for Tony's paranoia? Is Spencer going to be coming back to an empty room or a sleeping Tony in pain? o_O Will Tony ever call Garcia and Abby to apologize when he doesn't think he did anything wrong?_

A/N: I'm such a horrible person, I know. Yeah, I know it took me forever to even update this. T-T But I seriously believe in always finishing the stories you write, even if it takes a little while. Hopefully, it won't be the case for the next chapter. I have a few fics I'm trying to keep up with, but I'll try and keep this steady. I hope.


End file.
